Sartori Flashcards
Party Classification and the 8 Party Functions
What are Sartori’s three criteria for classifying political parties?
Historical development, organisational structure, and functional performance.
What is meant by a party’s “organisational network”?
The total space and reach a party occupies beyond formal structure, including grassroots control, colonisation of institutions, and auxiliary organizations.
What are the three historical stages of party development according to Sartori?
- Legislative-electoral parties,
- Electoral mass parties,
- Organisational mass (apparat) parties.
What distinguishes an “electoral mass party” from an “organisational mass party”?
Electoral mass parties focus on voters and elections; organisational mass parties focus on bureaucracy, continuous mobilisation, and colonisation of institutions.
Define “apparat mass party”.
A highly bureaucratised party with permanent mobilisation, professional politicians, and expansive organisational reach — often colonising other institutions.
What are Sartori’s three irreplaceable (core) functions of political parties, of the greater 8 functions?
Participation, electioneering, and expression.
How does Sartori critique Duverger’s party typology?
He argues it’s theoretically untidy, conflates structure with function and history, and lacks clarity on causal relationships and conceptual definitions.
What is the “mass party” and why is it a turning point in party history?
A party with a broad, impersonal membership and stable identification that shifts the focus from individual leaders to organised networks — marking systemic political development.
What are “party colonisation” and “party proliferation”?
Colonisation: occupying key positions in society. Proliferation: creating auxiliary groups (e.g. clubs) to expand reach and influence.
Why does Sartori believe the expressive function of parties is primary?
Because it ensures parties communicate demands from society to the state, enabling representative democracy and political legitimacy.
